chef per un giorno

Gnocchi di Patate. Insalata di Farro e Mozzarella. Dolce al Cioccolato.

"Cooking is an art; baking is a science." 

In Italy, the same phrase holds true, but I implore you to add that in Italy, cooking and baking are made into a sensuous and unforgettable experience.

Tonight, I attended my first cooking lesson of the semester. Note that I said my first cooking lesson of the semester, and not my first cooking lesson in Italy. When I visited Italy with my family in the Summer of 2004, my father and I took a cooking class in Sienna. There, we prepared ossobuco, beef carpaccio, and a dessert made with dried fruit, pine nuts, and custard. While my first Italian cooking class was a bit labor intensive, this class was led by two chefs who carefully supervised us the entire time.




The menu for cooking class #2: gnocchi, spelt salad, and chocolate souffle!

Gnocchi

1kg. white potatoes

90 g. all-purpose flour

40 g. cornstarch

30 g. durum-wheat flour

1 egg yolk

pinch of ground nutmeg

salt & pepper

Wash and dry the potatoes. Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper, with a thin layer of coarse salt and add the potatoes. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 F for 45 to 50 minutes (or boil the potatoes). Cool potatoes completely before continuing.

Feel the potatoes and using a ricer, mash the potatoes on a lightly floured surface or in a stainless steel bowl. Incorporate the remaining ingredients and knead the potato dough very quickly so it does not become sticky, adding more flour as needed.

Divide the dough into pieces and, on a floured surface, roll pastry into a thick string and cut into smaller pieces (about the size of the first digit of the thumb or 2 cm). Be sure to cut the gnocchi the same size so they cook evenly. Roll each gnocchi in the palm of the hand using the back of a  fork, then pinch slightly between thumb and index finger to puff (the fork indentations serve to better hold the sauce). Lightly flour the gnocchi so they don't stick to one another.

Cook gnocchi in salted water in small batches for 2-3 minutes.

Serve immediately with sauce.

Yields 4 servings.

Docle al Cioccolato

150 g. dark chocolate

90 g. butter

30 g. flour

50 g. sugar

3 eggs, separated

Preheat over to 320 F.

Melt together the chocolate and the butter in a water bath or double boiler; add flour and yolks.

Whip the egg whites, slowly adding the sugar, until firm but not stiff; fold into the chocolate mixture.

Pour batter into a cake pan, or individual ramekins or foil cups.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings.
 


This cooking class was a lot of fun, and I'm so thankful that I was able to participate. I hope to sign up for several more cooking classes while I'm studying in Italy. I know that my friends and family back home will be more than happy to let me demonstrate my new culinary skills upon my arrival.